What treestand am I looking for?

[Scoot]

I'd like a treestand that my son and I can sit in together. It needs to be a ladderstand and it needs to be equipped to handle two people. There are plenty of good two-person ladder stands out there- which one should I get? I've used double-ladder stands from Big Game and Big Dog- both have been fine, but both can be noisy, particularly when it's cold.

The things I'd like in the stand are: 1) quiet- no squeekiness to it, 2)about 17' (the 15 footers are too low for me), 3) reasonably priced. Some of the double-ladder stands look really nice, but cost $250. No chance I'm going to pay that- I need suggestions more in the $100 - $150 range. Also, if Cabelas, Gander Mountain, or Scheels carries them, that's best because I have gift cards to all three right now (yipee!)

Thanks for your thoughts in advance!

[Bear55]

I don't think you are going to find what you are looking for, even if you up your budget. Ladder stands are great but to keep them reasonably priced they are designed and built as cheep as possible. That generally doesn't equal a quiet stand.

If it were me I would maybe do something custom. Do you know anyone that can weld? It will be heavy/bulky but should keep the noise down and you can make it any size you want.

You could also do a perm stand or attempt a large wood ladder stand, now sure how that would work but I think it would be nice and quiet.

[Bear55]

Here is a pic of a wood ladder stand I found, you would of course need to customize it to fit two hunters. Again not super ideal but it would be cheap and quiet.

[Scoot]

Thanks for the reply, Bear. There are a number of options in the price range I mentioned. However, you might be right- there might not be one in the price range I said that is quiet.

I grew up hunting out of homemade and handmade stands. My dad, uncle, brother, cousins and I made many of them. After a few years, they become death traps IMO. I'd rather hunt in a loud stand than an unsafe one, particularly if I have my little boy with me. I do appreciate the suggestion, but I'll keep looking for one off the shelf. If I have to bump my price range to get what I'm looking for, I'll have to...

Again, thanks for the suggestion and thoughts.

[sticknstring]

I've got two Big Game Buddy or Partner stands (can't remember which) and one Ultra View that my wife & I hunt out of together. Just like any steel tube frame, they can be a little noisy, but they're sturdy & safe. Often when you get multiple people in the tree at once, you have to give up a little stealth. It's worth it though!

[rbs]

A lot of the time in my ladder stands the ladder themselves are the noisy parts and it has helped me to ratchet strap them from the top to the bottom so they don't pull apart and make noise. I can't stand the noise!

[Meat-Run]

Hey Scoot,

one option that might be of interest is to use one ladder stand and a hang-on together by hanging next to the ladder. This way you can be elevated a little bit higher say over his shoulder but still give your little hunter full range of shooting.

I wish some one would design a tree-hugging latter that straps to a tree and you can "hang" or clip multipule stands on the latter like one above each other.

mr

[Archerysniper]

+1 for meat run that is what I do I hang just behind the seated hunter it also works so they can't sneek up on you.

[Scoot]

Great thoughts and suggestions fellas! Thanks!!!

[paceman]

Also keep in mind that those double ladder stands are very heavy and are a challenge to put up and very hard to move. It will take at least 2 guys. But once they are up they are very comfortable to hunt out of.

[Scoot]

That's definitely true, paceman. I've got a couple of them, so I'm not totally new to them- I'm just looking for a better mouse trap than I have bought to this point. I've put them up about a dozen times by myself- it's no fun and not at all easy. With two guys, it's not a problem, but alone it's really tough. I put one up by myself one day when it was about 90 degrees with high humidity and no wind. The skeeters must have taken a gallon of blood out of me. Now THAT was no fun!!!

[Cheetah]

Maybe consider a ladder stand meant for big guys. I don't know much about them, but there should be a few on the market for 300+lb guys and built with bigger seat and platform areas. Enough for a smaller guy and a kid I'm guessing.

[bigbucks]

I agree with you Scoot. I've put them up by myself several times, it's not much fun & a few times it's gotten going the wrong way & I had to just let it fall & start over, but it can be done. You need to have pretty good reach for leverage though I'd say.

[Bear55]

A lot of the time in my ladder stands the ladder themselves are the noisy parts and it has helped me to ratchet strap them from the top to the bottom so they don't pull apart and make noise. I can't stand the noise!

This is a good tip and might be your best bet. Do everything you can to soundproof the stands, it might not work 100% but should greatly reduce the noise.

[harvey lee]

If you are going to use this stand at the ranch Scoot, feel free to put it up and leave it all season if you like.

That would make it a little easier for you.

Nice stand for me to climb up into if I need to take a nap.

[SmellEsox]

There is a nice double trunked oak on the property I hunt that I just hang two hang-on stands in. I use climbing sticks to get to them. Works great and has way less silouette IMO.

[Scoot]

If you are going to use this stand at the ranch Scoot, feel free to put it up and leave it all season if you like.

That would make it a little easier for you.

[Scoot]

There is a nice double trunked oak on the property I hunt that I just hang two hang-on stands in. I use climbing sticks to get to them. Works great and has way less silouette IMO.

I totally agree SmellEsox- one of the drawbacks of the double ladder stands is the silhouette problem. They force you to stand further away from the tree than a typical hang on stand does. I try really hard to make sure there's good cover behind me to help break that up, but it's not perfect...

The idea behind this is to get my son in the stand with me though and I just don't want him in a hang on stand by himself right now, even if it's very close to me. He's only seven and the comfort and safety of a ladder stand with a bar that goes in front of us is really nice. I'm a bit paranoid and over-protective- I put the bar down and still strap him into the tree because I don't want anything goofy to happen. About 90% of the time he comes with me he ends up taking a nap in the stand at some point- being in a ladder stand where he can just lay back and I don't have to worry about him falling out of the tree is really nice.

[Spike76]

The big box store had a nice 17 foot double ladder stand for 140. I was very tempted to buy a couple, but didn't. I hunt from double ladder stands about 19 feet high, and I've put them up alone. Practice putting the bottom of the ladder against the tree and than start lifting the stand and walk toward the tree hand under hand down the ladder until the stand hits the tree. Now balance it against the tree while you lift the ladder and place it out from the tree. Sink ladder into ground and then tie ladder to the tree aqs high as you can reach. Now go up ladder carefully and attach stand to the tree. I also take a piece of 2x8 and lag the stand to the tree. I'm 66 and I put them up alone when I have to and I'm short and fat. The more you do this the easier it will be.